Remember Hope?
by Kazima Kuwabara
Summary: The human world has been enslaved, and so has all the Rekai. The thing that kept the four going on was that they were together. They have forgotten hope but not each other...but now one of them is gone.


Believe it or not I came up wit this idea while I was watching "Spirit," with my little brother, There was this song on there I liked and it gave me inspiration. So, I own nothing, and enjoy.  
Yusuke: What's the story about?  
Read it!  
Kuwabara: Are we horses?  
NO! Oh this is called Sound The Bugle and Written by: Gavin Greenaway and Trevor Horn, no idea who sung it....oh never mind, I can find that later.

1234

Kuwabara lay wide awake next to his best friend Yusuke Urameshi, with Kurama on the other side of him, and Hiei on the other side of Kurama. He imagined himself on a grassy floor, camping out after killing an enemy demon. His body was tender from the beatings, bit he would live. If he looked up he could see the moon, and the stars above his head, and if he was lucky one would shoot across the sky.

But there were no stars here.

Kuwabara's hands were heavy from chains, special ones that kept his power at bay. His body was tired, scarred in some areas, and the soles of his bare feet were black from over use, and from lack of clean water to wash or cool them. Instead of grass, he lay on a hard wooden bed, with no mattress, and the wood would always splinter in his sides, for he bore no shirt. His pants stopped at the middle of his calf, and the pant legs were frayed at the edges.

He should be sleeping, he could expect a long day tomorrow. Just like all the other days...all the other long days.

He and his friends, along with the rest of the human race had been slaves for two years now. The demons had come to their world and taken over, everything was wrong...nothing was right anymore. He closed his eyes as he fought the memories circling his head.

/Sound the bugle now - play it just for me As the seasons change - remember how I used to be/

Two years ago, there had been a war between spirit world and demon world. The Rekai versus the demons, the monsters. In the end there was no fairy tale ending where the bad guys lost in the end, and good triumphed over evil. The demons broke through, led by someone even stronger than Yusuke. In a matter of months, the whole world was under the control of the demons. Humans now becoming slaves, for any purpose.

Pleasure, hard labor, food...and of course amusement.

The Rekai had been sent to laboring camps, in special chains that locked away their power. Yusuke, Hiei, Kurama, and Kuwabara had a little bit of hope. Koenma, and about twenty percent of all the Rekai hadn't been captured. Better yet, Genkai, Yukina, Shizuru, and Keiko had managed to escape with Koenma to where ever he had fled to.

In Kuwabara's heart he hoped his friends where trying to stop the demon who now controlled the human world, but his hope was dying. The only thing that seemed to really help him hold on was the fact he and his friends weren't separated. Surprisingly, the four had never been split up.

Kuwabara dried his wet eyes and looked at Hiei, respect filling to the brim of his pale blue eyes. No one had tried to split them up since that faithful day, about one year and 8 months ago. They had tried to take Kurama away to become an...an item of pleasure for the demons. Hiei killed five demons with his chains, and no demon tried to split them up again.

But...

The bravery came with a price. Hiei's right eye had been blinded, and his right ear turned deaf.

He payed a heavy price, and it was hard for him to work, but the others helped him. He'd earned the respect of many, whether he meant to or not. All of them had in fact. Kuwabara had been the only one that would smile, and still tell jokes, for a full year. He gave the others hope when there seemed to be none, and he did his best to help kids' pain go away.

After a year of that, something happened to change all that, and Kuwabara had become one of the most defeated looking men out of all of them there.

/Now I can't go on - I can't even start I've got nothing left - just an empty heart/

The children, he told stories to, about hope, brave heroes, and justice...they had all been taken away. All 600 of them from the ages, 17 and down. They were then shipped in a demon train, a, "crate on wheels and tracks," as Yusuke called it, and were taken to the new ruler of the human world. They would be his breakfast, lunch, and Dinner. Kuwabara had kept them happy for nothing. He could remember a little girl calling out to him, saying he had lied about good defeating evil.

He remembered the beatings he got that day from the demons after the children were taken away. They made him an, "example," of what would happen if you spoke of hope. He was tied to a post, and the screams from the onlookers watching as they whipped him for a good hour, still rang loudly in his ears. He stood, and when he fell he kept getting up.

Kurama, Hiei, and Yusuke had pleaded with him to stay down so this would go quicker, but Kuwabara would stand up over and over until he no longer could. Until Kuwabara lay in a horriable sprawled position that caused the demons to laugh. Kuwabara had wanted to be punished that day, and when they said he would be tied to the post for three days with out food or drink he was fine with that. He just didn't care.

What reason did he have to?

/I'm a soldier - wounded so I must give up the fight There's nothing more for me - lead me away.  
Or leave me lying here/

Now later, he barely had the will to go on, but he knew deep down, his friends needed him more than they would say, and it was the same with him. They gave him what little happiness could be found in the place. He looked down as Yusuke stirred, scooting over to Kuwabara to get warmth. Kuwabara sighed and smiled at his closest friend's touch, only to stiffen when the door was thrown open.

"Kar..." he growled waking Hiei quikly. Hiei snorted and sat up, and with his one eye saw who was there. Kar had been the one who blinded his eye, and took his hearing from his ear. Hiei never liked to be unprepared around him. Hiei turned fully to see who shook him, for Kuwabara was on his right. The two nodded, and flinched as Kar shouted, his voice booming in the small hut that held hundreds, "GET UP SLIME! ALL MALES ARE TO COME WITH ME!"

Just as Yusuke and Kurama were beginning to stir, other demons rushed past Kar, and grabbed all the males in the rooms who slept on the left side of the building. The woman on the right, woken from the screaming, sat up hugging each other. As Kuwabara was marched past them, still trying to wake Yusuke, he saw a demon reaching out to touch a scared 19 year old girl.

Yusuke exchanged looks with him, and with a silent nod, the two kicked the demon. The demon fell ungracefully, the small girl nodding at them, and hiding behind four older woman. The demon rose and snarled, "Who did that!?" The man, and young boys turned to look at the demon, all waiting.

"You idiots!" Hiei hissed at Yusuke and Kuwabara.

Yusuke smiled slyly at Kuwabara, who almost laughed. Yusuke hadn't changed a bit.

Out of no where the demon got in Kuwabara's face, "Was it you slime?!" Kuwabara starred at him, and the demon jerked him by his chains away from the others. Yusuke almost opened his mouth, but Kuwabara glared at him to stay silent. What ever happened didn't matter.

He didn't care.

If there was one thing no one person mattered anymore, and if you were stupid enough to help someone and get caught, then you deserved the punishment the delivered on you. In this place there was no hope. Kuwabara had read books about wars, prison camps-no cages for people who had, or didn't have something. Kuwabara didn't think cruelty like that was possiable, but everyday he'd see fathers bring in their own children for reward, brothers sell their sister's bodies...now Kuwabara believed everything. Nothing had been dressed up, and made worse than it really was in those history books, it was all true. As the demon grabbed him, Kuwabara wondered if this would ever be in history books.

The demon threw the defenseless man to the ground, and the demons laughed as he kicked at him, and encouraged Kuwabara to fight. Kuwabara would rise and shake his head no. He didn't want to fight anymore, besides he knew better. They would all just gang up on him until he could no longer move. He was done. He didn't want to struggle, or even defend himself. It would just happen again tomorrow.

The demon spat on him, and laughed, "Look at you! PATHETIC!" He uncoiled a whip on his hip, but Yusuke's voice rang out, "I KICKED YOU, YOU BASTXRD!!" Everyone whispered and starred at Yusuke. "You...I should have known." He kicked Kuwabara one last time then turned to Yusuke, leaving Kuwabara alone on the floor.

Kuwabara lay in the dark room, shadows falling across him. He was dizzy, even lying down, and he heard behind him the sounds of laughing, and grunts of pain from Yusuke. He wanted to rise, but he also wanted to just stay down, and play dead. His head filled with anger, and disgust with himself became too much, and the lack of sleep caught up with him.

With a sigh he fell into sleep, where no dreams would be.

/Sound the bugle now - tell them I don't care There 's not a road I know - that leads to anywhere/

Yusuke growled at the demons who beat him and laughed when he let slip a grunt of pain. The other demons watched laughing and whooping. The men, and boys were being subdued, and if they even looked like they would help they were forced to the ground, and beat. There would be no saviors in this room. Maybe dead would-be-heroes, but no live ones.

Kurama and Hiei stood, chests heaving as if they were suffering in great labor to stay back. Kurama flinched at the crack of the whip, while Hiei's eyes burned with rage. He turned to look at Kuwabara, and saw he had stilled. Hiei knew he was alive, he could see him breathing, but it looked as if he'd been knocked out or fallen asleep.

Hiei closed his eyes thinking of his sister. It seemed he had just found her when he lost her again. He remembered when they first had been caught, none of them seemed to want to speak. Kurama's mother and step father had been killed, and it was apparent Kurama was becoming destructive with his own life. Yusuke seemed to just...slip into something new, something cruel and filled with rage. Kuwabara seemed to have a naive hope keeping him from breaking down, when that was what he really needed.

They worked through all their pain and suffering, and pulled on each other for support and comfort. They were all they had, and they weren't about to lose that. Hiei flinched as a man was attacked next to him, the sound of blood splashing the ground. Hiei wished to roar with anger and kill, but with these special chains, he had become weak...powerless.

Yukina danced across his mind, and surprisingly Shizuru. Kuwabara's sister had escaped with her in the night, and because of this Kuwabara and Hiei had slowly drifted closer. 'A gain from a loss...' Hiei thought turning his blind eye to what was happening in front of him.

"Enough!" Kar ordered, the beatings ceasing. Hiei watched Yusuke drag himself to all fours, blood pouring from his brow. He spit, blood and spit making a tiny puddle on the wood. Hiei watched Yusuke rise and stand erect, feeling humbled by his friend's strength.

"There you go Yusuke..." Kurama pat his friend rubbing Yusuke's sore back. Yusuke nodded, giving a lop sided grin, sweat staining his ragged shirt, and skin. "GET UP FILTH!" The humans, and good demons also forced into chains, turned to look at Kuwabara.

He had not risen.

In fact he'd been turned on his back, and it was apparent he was sleeping. Kurama swallowed, he knew of Kuwabara's lack of sleep. He had not slept in four days at least, and working like they were forced to did nothing to help. "Get up...please get up..." Kurama whispered as a demon kicked Kuwabara's side. This sleep he was in must have been deep, for he did not rise.

Hiei's chest began rising faster as he saw Kar head for Kuwabara. "Get up! Get up!" Yusuke was now clinging painfully tight to Kurama, and voices were encouraging Kuwabara to wake and stand. All went still as Kar reached his destination, and stood over Kuwabara. Kurama, Yusuke, and Hiei were held back by the other men, and all watched terrified as Kar leaned down. "Having a good sleep?" He asked Kuwabara.

Kar reached for a dagger in his pocket, "Then you can sleep forever!" His dagger was brought down before a cry had been made, the dagger was brought down to Kuwabara's naked throat. No blood was spilled, for Kar had frozen with the dagger tip pressed to Kuwabara's neck.

Kuwabara's pale blue eyes had opened and he starred at Kar cooly, uncaring. There was no speck of light in his eyes, no shine of hope. The coldness, bitterness, hatred, that was glued to those eyes, caused Kar to falter. He still sat frozen when Kuwabara pushed his hand away, and rose, making only one minuscule sound of pain. Still Kar sat stunned, when Kuwabara joined the men in line, and placed his hand on Yusuke shoulder, asking him how he was.

Finally Kar rose, cleared his throat, and yelled, "Move them out to building G! Lord Korin's royal guard are here to pick some new slaves out." As they were led out, Kuwabara placed his hand on Kurama's shoulder, knees shaking. "I can barely stand on my own..." He whispered softly. Kurama pat his hand, "Then just hold onto me."

/Without a light I fear that I will - stumble in the dark/

The men were set down in a bigger building used for work when fat demons, dressed royally strode on in, carrying a parchment. Kar greeted them with flourish, and Yusuke rolled his eyes, "He's kissing aXs." Kuwabara smiled, and then nearly doubled over as his bruised ribs were jarred. The demons spoke, and then Kar marched over to them. "Sit." All dropped either by force, or willingly.

Kar smiled, "Our Lord Korin, who took your world with ease," A smug smile tugged at the corners of his lips, "has asked for 12 strong human males for entertainment, to play soldier in his battle games. Human against demon...without chains and all." Kar turned to the demons, "Separate the old, the too young, and the demons away from the group."

Children 16 and under, men over 50, and the good demons, including Kurama and Hiei, were led to the other side of the room. Yusuke and Kuwabara remained seated next to each other. Yusuke took his friend's hand, and the two clung to each other. Like cattle they were examined, and after an hour 11 men had been chosen. Three of them were Rekai just like Yusuke and the others. and they also had bore the special chains.

The most finely dressed demon stood over Yusuke and Kuwabara, he'd narrowed it down to those two, and they sat alone in front of him, while the other 11 chosen watched breath stuck in their throat, and those not chosen watched dismayed, wondering who else would they lose to Korin's sick games.

"You."

The demon's fat finger jabbed in Yusuke's face. "You will do." As the royal guards of Korin rushed in to take Yusuke, Kurama, Hiei, and Kuwabara cried out in protest. Kuwabara held onto Yusuke, and a hand twice the size of his head, smacked him across the face sending him crashing to the ground.

Kuwabara lay there trembling, tears cascading down his pale cheeks.

/Lay right down - decide not to go on/

"HE'S A HALF-LING!" Kuwabara cried, and the room went still.

Sitting painfully up, Kuwabara pointed at Yusuke, his chains rattling, "HE'S A HALF DEMON! CHECK YOUR CHARTS!" Yusuke shook his head, heart racing, "Shut up you asXhole!" Kar snatched the charts from a smaller demon, and flipped through several sheets looking for his name. He found it, and sighed angrilly, "The slime speaks the truth." The fat demon looked at Yusuke appalled, "If we had taken him, I would have lost my head." He threw Yusuke towards the other men who had not been chosen, and reached out and grabbed Kuwabara by his hair.

"NO KUWABARA!" Yusuke cried, and Kurama had to shove his hand over Yusuke's mouth to keep him quiet. Yusuke quivered, and breathing hard starred at the scene playing out before him. Hiei and Kurama watched with wide eyes, their eyes burning as they forced back the hot water that threatened to spill from their sockets.

"You saved my life boy...and just lost your own." The fat demon looked at Kuwabara, and he pursed his lips, "As a reward you pick who is to take the half-lings place, you can even pick a child." Kuwabara looked at Kar, and growled, "If you were human I would choose you!" The demons whispered to each other as Kar grew red. Kuwabara closed his eyes, "I choose myself." The men gasped surprised, and Kuwabara went limp as the demon laughed. "YOU MUST BE RETARDED BOY!"

"Yeah that's it..." Kuwabara whispered.

Kuwabara was forced to his feet and chained with the other 11 men, arms linked together, so they would walk in a line. Kar dismissed Yusuke and the others, not chosen to go to Lord Korin's castle, while Kar filled the 12 in on what they would do for Korin's amusement.

"You will face his warriors, and fight to the death. If you survive 15 rounds, you will become a worker slave serving him food, or what ever else he desires." Kar continued on, while Kuwabara stood there. He listened to nothing, everything seemed to fade away. The chains were pulled and the 12 men marched out of the room, Kuwabara bringing up the end.

When sunlight poured on him, he blinked and looked over at his fellows, who paused to look up. Some held their heads in shame, and those who had hats given to them to keep the hot sun off their necks took them off, and lowered their heads. Wives, Mothers, Sisters, Brothers, Sons, Daughters, other family members and friends cried out the names of their loved one that were all led past the barbed fence, and into the train.

They were shoved into a very old car on the train; it was so bad that the walls did not even appear to exist. Random chunks of wood had been nailed to a frame, and holes were everywhere, just large enough for you to stick your arms through, and maybe your head. They were unshackled from each other, but not from their own chains, and now all wandered to their own place to sit and rest, or to somewhere to huddle.

Kuwabara never felt so alone.

/Then from on high - somewhere in the distance There's a voice that calls - remember who you are/

"KUWABARA!"

Kuwabara turned towards the rickety walls, and poked his face outside between the boards. Yusuke was at the fence tears streaming down his face, arms stretched through the barbed wire. Those tanned arms were now cut blood dripping all over Yusuke's body, the ground, the wire, and his chains. His chained hands reached for Kuwabara's who eagerly shoved his hands through the boards, and clasped Yusuke's.

"Your gonna get caught!" Kuwabara snapped at him, tears obscuring his vision.

Yusuke shook his head, "I am not! Kurama and Hiei are distracting the demons." He rubbed his runny nose against his grimy shirt, and eyes blazing with anger he growled, "Why!? Why Kuwabara!? You shouldn't have said anything!"

"If things were reversed...and It was the other way around you'd do the same!"

"No-no I wouldn't!"

Kuwabara sobbed, "You're a terrible liar you bXstard!"

"You're a self righteous biXch!"

Without warning the two began laughing, a strange peace settling between them.

"Kuwabara...you just have to hang on...I'll...I'LL COME AND GET YOU! I couldn't stand losing you! Say you'll try to live! Please say you'll fight to live!" He sniffed, "Because I swear if you die, I'm gonna kill you."

/If you lose yourself - your courage soon will follow So be strong tonight - remember who you are/

Kuwabara rubbed his face against his bare shoulder to dry his eyes, "Okay." The train whistled, and demons began loading on the metal beast. "Yusuke..." At his name he burst into tears and finally choked out, "What?"

"Tell Hiei and Kurama I won't forget them! I won't forget you either...I swear I won't!"

"O...okay."

"You have to remember, don't forget! Promise me!" The copper haired boy sobbed.

"I promise you basXard! I promise!"

"You have to remember what-what hope is. I've almost forgotten it...but you have to remember it now! I need your hope and faith to keep me goin'. OH STOP YOUR BLUBBERING YOU SISSY!" Kuwabara bawled.

For a good minute or two they held onto each other, tears washing their faces clean.

"Kazuma Kuwabara..." Yusuke whispered, "I'll remember you...and by God I'll save you! I won't die until I see you again."

Kuwabara nodded smiling, tears in his eyes, "Yeah! Same here!"

Yusuke also nodded, tears in his eyes and looking cocky, "You think you can hang on?"

"I know I can...just have faith. Have faith in me alright?"

Yusuke nodded when Kuwabara tugged at his hands. He wasn't meaning to, the train was pulling out. Yusuke walked briskly across the fence, pulling out, and pushing his hands back in through the barbed wire just so he could hold on to Kuwabara's hands. "No...no, no! I can't say good-bye yet!" Yusuke whispered eyes squeezing shut.

Finally, Yusuke was as far as he could travel along the fence, and the two clung tightly to each other, refusing to let go until the train ripped their hands apart. "There's...There's one last thing...Urameshi...one last-agh!"

They lost their hands.

"YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND! EVEN WHEN WE HATED EACH OTHER, AND WE FOUGHT, ALL THE WAY UP UNTIL YOU DIED SAVING THAT KID, YOU WERE MY BEST FRIEND! I KNEW IT DEEP DOWN INSIDE! YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN THE GUY I'VE ADMIRED, AND NEEDED TO KNOW WAS THERE! YOU'VE BEEN MY BEST FRIEND, AND IDOL SINCE I'VE KNOWN YOU!"

Yusuke stood alone at the fence bleeding, and he called back, "I WON'T FORGET! I WON'T! I'LL FIND THIS ASX'S CASTLE AND GET YOU OUT BUDDY! I PROMISE!!"

Yusuke stood alone as he watched Kuwabara, still reaching out to him, be taken away by "the cart on wheels." He watched Kuwabara's reaching hands as the train traveled up the hill, and when it went down it, those hands were the last things he saw. Yusuke turned slowly and saw Hiei and Kurama behind him. They were crying, eyes shining bitterly. Yusuke starred at them, and the tears, and gems theat fell down their faces. Yusuke closed his eyes, and fell forwards, not caring if anyone caught him.  
Kurama and Hiei held onto him, and Yusuke whispered after about twenty minutes, "We have to hold on for him..." He was no longer crying, and he whispered, "If we don't he won't make it...I promised to hold on." Kurama rubbed his friend's head, "Yes, yes....Shhh....we're not giving up yet...we're not letting him go."

"We're going to meet again. We're going to see each other again."

/Ya you're a soldier now - fighting in a battle To be free once more.../

/5 YEARS LATER/

Yusuke, Hiei, and Kurama stood next to Koenma, watching as the demons around them were lead away to be taken to hell, or flat out killed, Kar amoung the ones to be killed. The people around them embraced and laughed. Seven years of suffering was done. Koenma had found enough followers, freed enough people, to join him and claim back earth.

Yusuke, Kurama, and Hiei finally in normal clothes, well nourished, and fed stood tall, looking at each other. They had been set free a year ago, and Yusuke had the honor or ripping off Korin's head. Peace crossed everyone's faces but Yusuke's.

There was no Kuwabara.

They went to the dungeon under Korin's castle where all the slaves were kept. They found body after body, no one left alive. The demons had killed them, and then took off on their own. There were several bodies that could be Kuwabara, but their faces were so scarred they could not be recognized. Besides that it had been a long time since they seen him, and only God knew how much he changed.

Kurama placed his hand around Yusuke's shoulder, and the brown eyed man looked at him. His eyes had held hope since he promised Kuwabara to hang on since that day he was taken away. Koenma looked at his friends, and whispered, "I'm sorry...I...I guess I took to long..."

They starred at Koenma, who had done some fighting himself. His left sleeve was pinned up, his arm gone. He had lost it at Korin's castle, and the three starred at him confused. "Why are you apologizing...you have done so much...you lost your arm to save us all!" Kurama cried angrilly, "You have nothing to be sorry for!" Hiei nodded, sighing, "This was just a living hell."

SCREEEEE!

The four turned to a train, Koenma smiling oddly, "Survivors from another slave camp, 10 miles away from here." Yusuke's eyes welled with tears, and whispered, "That's the train...the train Kuwabara was forced to go in!" They starred at the box car they all recognized, and Kuwabara held up a glowing finger, "Yusuke!" Kurama grabbed his wrist. Yusuke tensed and releasing an angry howl, dropped to the ground.

As a ramp was lowered to let the survivors out, Koenma held onto his friend, who'd gone quiet and looked at the ground. "MOTHER!" A young man came running out with a small girl in his arms. Yusuke watched the family reunite, and saw the little girl look around, and she asked, "Where's daddy, and sissy?" The woman sobbed enveloping them both in her arms.

The four friend's shoulders sagged, as they watched the survivors come out. The last to come out was a young man, 15 maybe younger, helping a taller man out of the train. His one leg was in a brace, and he could not walk right. It was clear in this camp he'd been poorly taken car of, he had a beard on his face, making it hard to discern his age. His hair was long, and though he was white, his hair seemed to be clumping and forming dread locks. His skin was tanned, and his bare back and chest scarred. He was a wreck.

Koenma glanced at his friends, who starred at the two curiously. "GABE!" Someone called, and the young boy and older man turned their heads. A man looking similar to the teen was laughing and running towards him, "BROTHER!" The teen's face lit up, and it was apparent he was eager to run to him. The bearded man dismissed him nodding, showing he could stand. The teen smiled and was gone within a flash.

The man stood alone, and Yusuke's heart went out for this man.

Koenma walked forward and with his one arm reached out to him. The man's eye's lit up, and the three Rekai froze as an orange sword appeared in his hand, and he used it like a cane to support his bad leg. "KOENMA!" The man cried, and hugged him. Koenma laughed, and held on to him. Koenma smiled at the stunned three a little behing them, and bent down to whisper in the bearded man's ear. The man jumped, and in wonder turned to stare at Yusuke, Hiei, and Kurama.

Yusuke met pale blue eyes, and with his mind cut the mans hair, turned his tanned skin paler, and shaved his beard. "Kuwabara..." He finally whispered, "It's Kuwabara..." With twin whoops of joy. Yusuke and Kuwabara ran to each other. Kuwabara didn't get very far, but Yusuke met him, and tackled him, "IT'S YOU! AH MAN, IT'S YOU!!" Yusuke laughed, crying freely.

Kuwabara ignored the pain in his leg Yusuke was causing, and held onto Yusuke hugging him, "Urameshi you had hope...you lived." Yusuke clung to him, and felt arms wrap around the both of them. Kurama had joined the fray, while Hiei stood over them smiling like he'd never smiled before. "Kurama..." Kuwabara said tears swelling in his eyes, "Hiei..." Kuwabara reached up to Hiei, tugged his arm, and the short demon dropped beside him.

Kuwabara touched Hiei's right cheek and asked softly, "You still blind you little punk?" Hiei shook his head no, gems falling to the ground, "Worrying about us still you idiot? That doesn't matter!" He sniffed, and pointed at him, "Look at you!" Kuwabara looked down and rubbed his short, but very tangle beard, "I could use a shave."

"What about your leg?" Yusuke asked, still holding his friend's hand.

"Hasn't been properly healed since my 15th win against one of Korin's men."

"You..." Yusuke collapsed into his friend's embrace, "We went to the castle you weren't there...weren't there..." Kuwabara held onto him and choked out, "I was in Korin's castle for two and a half years, and when I won 15 matches against his best they sent me to a slave camp." He looked over the hill he'd disappeared over not so long ago, "Just over that hill...so close to you!" Kuwabara laughed, "You have no idea how frustrating that was!"

Yusuke rose, and helped his friend up, making Kuwabara put his arm around his shoulder, "Now we've won." Yusuke said with a sly smile, "Now we've won the fight."

Yusuke didn't have to explain himself, they all knew what he meant. They were all back together. They had beat the odds, and made it through. Looking at them now, you would never be able to tell they had lost hope several times those five years. Each time they dropped their hope they picked it back up.

Because hope was worth remembering.

/Ya that's worth fighting for/ 


End file.
